


Mass Effect: Synthesis Extras

by Jade_Tatsu



Series: Synthesis [2]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Drama, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-13
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-01 08:31:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2766470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jade_Tatsu/pseuds/Jade_Tatsu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Extra bits from Mass Effect Synthesis. Could be extra scenes, alternative scenes or things that are just plain weird. These are things that didn't make it into the main story but still might give someone a laugh or a smile or illustrate things in a different way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter Five - Leroy Jenkins

This one goes with Chapter 5.

Comment from Reviewer: The new entity will charge into battle with the cry LEEEEERRROOOOYYYY JENKIIIIINNNNS

Mass Effect: Synthesis  
Extra 1: Leroy Jenkins

Cenkin, the CEuman of the SILO Cenkin lay under the bush, watching as Batarian mercs advanced. He suppressed a growl. He'd been at home, having dinner with his family who'd moved back to Eden Prime once he'd begun synthesis, when the warning alarms had started. His Mom and Dad had quickly taken his little sister into the shelter but he'd been angry. He'd been away for years and all he had been doing was catching up but no, the Batarians couldn't take a hint! Red had flashed over his vision and Cenkin had agreed with him. It was time the Batarians were brought to heel.

But that was not their decision and Harbinger had been adamant that no assistance was to be given to the humans. They needed this test, this trial by fire but Harbinger had never said that they couldn't defend themselves. No Batarian had so much as touched a CEuman and that wasn't about to change now.

He didn't have any formal training. He didn't even have any weapons on him. He didn't need them. As a human he might have been just eighteen when he'd agreed to synthesis but Cendain had the knowledge of a nation, knowledge he now had. Cendain knew how to fight, both as the huge form of the ship he had been and as an organic body and right at the moment a hundred moves danced in the forefront of his mind.

The Batarians were almost in range. There were five of them. They were armed. It meant nothing. Lightning played through his fingers and his toes dug into the dirt as he surged forward. They saw him coming. With their four eyes, they had excellent peripheral vision.

He grinned, almost bearing his teeth. It didn’t matter, because he was faster. Human limits meant nothing to him. His hand touched the closest Batarian even as the alien turned towards him. The Batarian jerked as energy that was like biotic but wasn’t quite flowed into him. The energy was close enough to electricity that it acted the same. The alien couldn’t even scream and Cenkin moved as the others dragged their guns around to him.

He dodged right, a stray shot passed by him. Cenkin flicked up his left hand. The shots that followed hit his barrier and he chuckled as the Batarians looked at him. He knew what he looked like. His eyes were glowing, just as his hands were and the cobalt blue lines on the jump suit he wore looked like they were pulsing with energy.

“Impossible,” one snarled. “Humans don’t have biotics!”

He didn’t bother to reply. Instead, Cenkin flicked his right hand out, casually picking up the speaker and hurling him into the air before driving the batarian into the ground. The crack of bones was audible to all and the alien lay still in the dirt. The throaty gurgle of his death rattle signalled that he would not be getting up.

The other three fired again and he watched as one pulled a grenade. The batarian threw it quickly and Cenkin almost laughed as he caught it. A tiny charge of electricity surged through it, disabling the charge and while he maintained his barrier he held the weapon up, and then threw it from hand to hand.

The batarians backed away. They wanted to run. They were on the verge of it but there was nowhere to run. He flicked the grenade at the still twitching batarian, not bothering to hold back his laugh as it detonated when it hit the prone form.

The other aliens stared, their eyes going wide but he just grinned again and charged forward. It was a hard few minutes for the batarians, minutes that only ended when Cenkin gripped the neck of the last one and twisted sharply, ending their pain. As an afterthought he kicked the bodies, a derisive snort the only regard he gave them as he looked to the stars.

“Now that was not a Leroy Jenkins!”


	2. The Lion Sleeps Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a scene that could have happened. It does not break continuity of Mass Effect: Synthesis, but it was not put in to the main story because I felt it was not necessary.
> 
> This went with Chapter 8.

**Mass Effect: Synthesis Extra**  
 **Extra: The Lion Sleeps Tonight**

* * *

Harbinger dimmed his running lights, as he pushed more energy into to shield around the tent on the ground before him. Jane was asleep, her mother was beside her and there were CEumans guarding the entries. He had husks from previous cycles crowded behind the airlocks closest to her which would attack anything. They would be noisy though and humans were like most organics, they healed best when they were asleep.

Which is why the three Batarian signals creeping though the outer field were about to be trapped and then eliminated as silently as he could manage. The CEumans already knew not to move, unless absolutely necessary. The sleep cycle of his organic would not be interrupted by these nuisances. He was mildly curious to know how they'd avoided the SOCL sensors until now but that was only a passing interest. It was probably a result of the SOCL no longer looking and them being removed from the main groups when they were.

The batarians were cautious. They slunk through the darkness carefully, using what cover there was. Against organics, their skill was impressive. Against him, they should have just walked straight up.

Harbinger extended a mass effect field over them, much like a biotic could and as the Batarians moved from between tents he slammed them into the ground. The hardest thing about it was angling the field so that they hit the ground head first, muffling their cries. The batarians struggled against the force but there was nothing they could do. Idly Harbinger increased the pressure as he reached out. They were within his sphere of influence and it was a simple thing to touch their fragile minds. The more challenging part was ensuring that he did not accidentally brush against either Shepard.

Their thoughts were confused and frantic. They were scared and didn't understand what was happening. Harbinger's fields did not have the signature colour of biotic power so they could see no reason they were being driven into the ground. As he had suspected, they had been separated from their unit when the SOCL had awoken. For the last few days they had been running scared but they knew that something important was here. They had seen images of him but had not known what he was and so had chosen the dumbest route of all. To ignore him.

Organics sunk to new levels of stupidity every cycle. Their plan was very simple. Find out what was here and capture it and then bargain their way off world. No imagination. No foresight, no cunning. And this from a race that fancied itself the smartest of the cycle? No wonder so many of them had already been indoctrinated by the remains of Ikasanrew. What angered him now was that they would dare to attempt to injure his organic? Harbinger's field wrapped around them lifting their bodies and dragging them towards him. Silently a hatch opened and he dropped them in.

They would not live for long but in the time they had remaining, they would regret their path.


	3. Huskie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From a typo in a PM that asked if I could make dog husks, and call them Huskies, or make Husky husks. This was the outcome.
> 
> This accompanied chapter 9.

**Mass Effect: Synthesis**   
**Extra: Huskie  
**

* * *

**2187, Sol System, Shepard**

One thing she'd never really thought about, but was becoming intimately familiar with was that Harbinger was huge. At over two kilometres long that was a lot of corridor to explore but there was surprisingly very little straight parts. If she wasn't already linked with Harbinger's mind, Shepard admitted she would have been lost after the first few turns.

It was actually a comfort. She'd imagined that most synthetics to be completely logical beings, with everything laid out in straight lines and sharp edges. Harbinger's internals were anything but. They were a maze, one he offered no apology for but as she explored further, she began to get a feel for him and there was logic behind it.

She'd found bays of things she called Dragon's Teeth. They were all towards the exterior of him, for ready deployment. She'd seen rows and rows of stasis pods, some empty, some filled with the product of those Dragon's Teeth. It had made her sick at first, but Harbinger had assured her that they were dead when they had been created. That wasn't quite true but the process did kill them quickly so she overlooked his opinion of reality in favor of the mercy.

After that, there had been a 'tac tac tac' following her. Usually it would aroused her instincts but she was within Harbinger. There was nothing here that would hurt her. He would not let it. So she continued walking. The 'tac tac tac' continued. It stopped when she stopped, continued when she moved.

As she moved down a rare long straight section she risked a glance back. There was nothing. She kept walking, turning a corner back into the maze that was Harbinger's internals. The 'tac tac tac' started again.

"Harbinger!" her voice was exasperated.

**"Shepard?"**

She almost growled at the note in his voice. While Harbinger was a synthetic life form, made from the combined consciousness of billions of individuals, he did, if you dug deep enough, have a sense of humor. He had every trait an organic did but immortality muted them.

"What is following me?"

**"Nothing is following you."**

"Harbinger!" she barked. Harbinger didn't lie. It was not that he was averse to it, he could lie and he had the intelligence to keep any lie straight but it was easier to tell the truth and he knew how to stretch the truth as far as it would go. Nothing was following her because no doubt, whatever was following her was doing so two paces to the left or right, which meant it wasn't stepping on her trail and therefore it was not following.

The 'tac tac tac' started again and Shepard listened as it came closer. She frowned, it was not the gait of a biped and slowly she turned to see it. A nose appeared from around the corner, at about 60cm high. It was black and was quickly accompanied by pair of long legs and the head. Electric blue eyes looked at her and sharp teeth were visible. The animal continued coming, and Shepard just stared. It walked on four legs and was black. Electric blue lines traced over it like a skeleton and it never blinked as it walked up to her.

It looked up as she looked down, and then it sat down, collapsing its hind legs.

"Harbinger," her voice was soft this time, quavering as she looked at the creature. The most disconcerting thing was the way it was waving its tail. The hind appendage swept the floor energetically as it grinned at her.

**"Shepard?"** Harbinger asked, his voice deliberately neutral.

"Why did," she shook her head. "How did…" Shepard frowned as she tried to frame the question. "How did you get a husky on board?" That's what it was. A dog. And from the tail and the ears and the lines of fur still clinging to it, it was a husky.

It began panting, its tongue lolling out as it continued to look up at her. Maybe its eyes went a bit wider because Shepard could swear it was asking to be petted. She reached down and carefully scratched around its ears. If anything its tail wagged harder and it leaned into her touch.

**"You don't like it?"** Harbinger asked, rather than replying though with his voice came the information that the dog had come aboard with the God is Might leaders who had been surrendered to him.

"It is… I don't… It doesn't matter!" Shepard snapped the reply. "Just tell me one thing," she said finally, "why the hell did you huskify a husky?"


	4. The Collectors and the Council

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harbinger was silent for a long moment, calculating options. "Take some synthesized with you and watch them," he agreed, though he wanted to know what they thought of the Cycle. Dan Sewei said it was over and while Harbinger knew that the choice for Synthesis made so long ago was meant to be the end of the Cycle, he also knew that nothing would truly end it. Not while they existed. "Make sure the Council know nothing," he added, "and call Nazara back. The Vanguard has been out long enough."
> 
> Those were Harbinger's orders, but what if he'd said "I'll inform the Council"?
> 
> This one is obviously a 'what if' for the fic, and is a hold over from a time when I was going to put the Collectors in the fic in a much more meaningful way. It came from a change in words of Chapter 7.

**Mass Effect: Synthesis**  
 **Extra: The Collectors and the Council  
**

* * *

_**July 8th 2185 Citadel** _

"What do you mean Valern?" Tevos asked, blinking sleep from her eyes.

"The Collectors are here. They have requested an urgent meeting with the Council."

"How long?"

"Half an hour."

Tevos groaned lightly but was already moving. The Collectors here... at the Citadel... This was... Goddess... She hoped this was something simple but she already knew in her bones it was not. No Terminus System race came to the Council... at least not one that given all the evidence available predated all known races as spacefaring. What did they want?

The question was still hanging over her head a half hour later when the Collector entered the Council Chambers. To the surprise of all the ship had come through the Relay and had requested the meeting. The Collector had simply agreed to bring a reduced honor guard and Tevos now found herself sitting across from an alien she had only heard about as a rumor of a rumor. Where did one start in this situation? 'Hi, so you are real,' was not exactly appropriate and Tevos took only small comfort in the fact that both Valern and Sparatus seemed to be equally confused.

"Council," the Collector began and somehow it gave the impression that it was looking each of them in the eye. "I am here as a curtsey. The Batarians have awakened something they should not have. We cannot stop it. They cannot stop it. It can only stop itself. At the moment it does not wish to stop. The Batarians will be the first ascended."

"I'm sorry, could you elaborate?" Tevos asked. The Batarians were at war, she knew that but they had been at war for the last few years... They were holding their own, weren't they?

The Collector blinked and Tevos watched as its wings twitched but it showed no other outward sign of annoyance and she wasn't even sure if it was annoyed. "You are aware of their war?" The question was sudden and pointed and the Asari could only nod.

"They were fighting the Children but they made a mistake. The Masters are now involved."

"The Masters?" Valern asked, fascinated by the implications the of the Collector's speech.

"The Masters of Ascension," the Collector replied as if it should be obvious.

"So these Masters will now fight the Batarians?" Sparatus questioned.

The Collector shook its head. "The Masters do not fight anyone. No one can fight the Masters. They are eternal. They have no beginning or ending. They are perfection."

Tevos frowned. She didn't understand.

"Make sense!" Sparatus snarled before Tevos could wave him to silence.

"The Masters are eternal, they are…" The Collector paused hissing before it boomed, **"ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL."**

The voice thundered around the room and Tevos was hard pressed to believe it came from the being in front of them but it did and she could only watch in awe as the Collector glowed and rose up. Its wings were not spread, it was a greater power which took it now. It was Valern who recovered first. "Ah, a Master!" he said excitedly.

That caused the Collector's head to turn towards him, glowing eyes almost spearing the salarian councillor with their intensity. **"I AM THE MASTER. THE SPECIES YOU KNOW AS BATARIAN HAVE ATTEMPTED TO INTERFER WITH THE CYCLE. THEY, THE LEAST OF SPECIES, SHALL BE THE FIRST ASCENDED."**

"They hurt your children?" Tevos asked tentatively, as she surreptitiously tried to calm the ringing in her ears.

That brought the Collector's attention to herself and she quailed at the intensity of its gaze. Tevos thought herself a good diplomat. She had kept the peace between Council species for the last hundred years. Looking into that burning gaze she felt as if she was being judged and she knew with absolute certainty that there was no diplomatic gesture, either as words or deeds that would sway the being who held the Collector in thrall. It growled at her without making a noise. **"THE CHILDREN ARE FEW AND ARE PROTECTED ABOVE ALL OTHERS FOR THROUGH THEM LIES THE PATH TO GREATER STRENGTH AND THEN NONE SHALL ESCAPE ASCENSION."**

At this, the Collector's body guards shivered.

Tevos would have replied but at that moment a Spectre crashed through the door and she rather belatedly realised that the Spectre was attempting to hold back the Batarian Ambassador. The Collector's body guards snapped to attention, raising their weapons, which caused the Spectres behind them to return the gesture.

The floating, glowing form of the Collector was unperturbed as it shifted slightly and though it was difficult to tell the look of disdain it directed towards the Batarian left her feeling cold.

"Councillors! You have to help! We are under attack," the Batarian ambassador said without bothering to hide the desperation in his voice.

" **YOU ARE THE FIRST OF THIS CYCLE TO BE ASCENDED!"**

All four of the batarian's eyes widened and Tevos watched as the man's throat worked as he turned to see the Collector.

"What is that?" the Batarian Ambassador demanded after a moment.

"A representative from the race attacking yours," Sparatus said and Tevos almost cringed. Turians didn't like Batarians but the happy fluting in Sparatus voice was not appropriate.

"How dare you!" The Ambassador shrieked and probably would have lunged at the Collector if not for the gun points levelled at him. The batarian turned back to the Council. "We are members of the Citadel Species, under attack by an unknown and hostile force, the Hemegony demands that the Council honor its treaties," the Ambassador's voice was more refined this time as he brought himself under control.

Tevos shared a look with Valern and Sparatus. The demand was one members could make of the Council, except… how long had the Batarians been attacking the so called unknown race?

Before she could answer, the Collector moved, too fast to see except as an after image of light. The Batarian screamed and Tevos felt sick as the Ambassador was surrounded by what had to be white hot biotic power which sliced him to pieces. With an audible snap of recoil the power returned to the Collector who was still floating but now almost seemed to be bursting. She waved back the Spectres who had started forward. She knew with absolute certainty that the Collector would allow no attack upon its person and if they were to try, then they'd all met the same fate as the Batarian ambassador.

" **YOU CANNOT DELAY ASCENSION BUT NOR WILL YOU BE PERMITTED TO TRY, FOR ASCENSION IS THE WAY OF THE CYCLE AND THE CYCLE IS ETERNAL."**

"That doesn't make any sense," Sparatus said more reasonably this time.

" **UNDERSTANDING IS NOT REQUIRED JUST OBEDIENCE."**

With the final word the Collector seemed to groan and there was an explosion of light which blinded them all. It left Tevos blinking rapidly as she tried to make her eyes adjust again to the soft light of the chamber. The cursing from around her left her know that everyone was still alive.

By the time she could see again, she looked over to see the Collector collapsed on the floor. Behind it, were the forms of its body guards, also collapsed and as she watched the bodies seemed to… dissolve. She felt a premonition as her mind analysed the meeting they had just participated in.

She didn't need the alarm warning coming from the Spectre's omni-tools to know that the Collector ship had just left. Tevos sat down, closing her eyes to resist the urge to rub her temples.

She knew they hadn't heard the last of either the Children or the Masters and she knew, that when they chose to represent themselves they would be … they would be what? That she didn't know but they would change the galaxy.

Forever.


	5. Aria on Garrus Vakarian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aria's story doesn't impact on the over all plot of the main fic, so I wrote a few little pieces to explain what happens to her. This is the first one.

**Mass Effect: Synthesis, Extras**   
**Jade Tatsu**   
**Aria on Garrus Vakarian**

* * *

Aria leaned over her desk, resting her elbows and breasts on the smooth surface as she flicked one finger to scroll through the information. Her chin rested on her other hand, pushing her cheek upwards, half closing one eye. The relaxed posture was one she took only in private. Usually she conducted business in the more informal setting of the lounge but when she truly needed to work, to catch up on information, she chose a place of few distractions. Some of her drones collected and collated the information from various sources to provide her with only the most pertinent details. There was some speculation but it was well known that she liked to draw her own conclusions.

The big news had been two days back. Even on Omega, the assassination of the Turian Councillor was noteworthy. And killed by no lesser figure than Omega's own Archangel! A few of the cartels had jokingly said they would remove the bounty on Vakarian's head for the service he'd provided. The Archangel had disrupted supply but in the scheme of things that had been temporary, the turian military had been doing that for centuries. Of course, they wouldn't really remove the bounty but they might give the Archangel a drink before they shot him.

Still, something didn't ring true with the reports. When Aria had seen them initially, she'd been surprised, then after the wash of new information faded, she'd considered what she knew. Vakarian was a sniper and turian. While Aria knew more than enough turians who'd kill their own mothers if that would get them something, Vakarian was about as turian as you got. He had honor. And Sparatus, for all that he was a Councillor, was not involved in that many shady dealings. Certainly nothing dodgy enough to raise Vakarian's ire. The small possibility that the Councillor had been doing something had been quickly dismissed. No one was that good at covering their tracks.

So, why would Vakarian assassinate Sparatus? Assuming he had done it, it wouldn't be for anything as petty as money. And if the Councillor had not been invo…

Ah, now that was an interesting tidbit. Aria reread the line. Sparatus had summoned Garrus back to Palaven on every official and unofficial channel there was. There was no attachment with the summons. That generally meant it was for something so high level that information could not leak out or that Sparatus wanted information Vakarian possessed.

A slight frown creased her features as Aria sat back. Now what would Garrus know that Sparatus didn't? She took a sip of her drink before breathing deeply. Nothing immediately sprung to mind but then, if it did, everyone would know. Vakarian had led a normal boring turian life until he'd come to Omega, then he'd gotten interesting. Even if only temporarily, disrupting the cartels and mercs as much as he had was impressive, impressive enough that she'd given him enough warning to escape when they got their act together. A smile whispered across her face. That had been very entertaining and while Vakarian still owed her one very large favor, it had almost been paid by watching the various groups blame each other. It had kept them on edge and under control nicely.

But that still didn't answer why Sparatus had wanted to see Garrus. Unless it had something to do with where he'd vanished after he left Omega? Aria flicked her eyes through the file. There was nothing about that and she felt her amusement fade. She made no habit of tracking individuals, unless there was a need, but that now made two well known names who'd disappeared from Omega to parts unknown. That was getting to the point where she needed information. Grimacing, she tapped a note to the Shadow Broker before she growled. This had better be worth it.

So it could be something to do with wherever Vakarian had vanished to or it… Aria's eyes narrowed. It could be something to do with the incident that made Garrus interesting. C-Sec's altercation on the Citadel and Vakarian's accusations against Spectre Arterius. Aria sat back, closing her eyes properly as everything sorted itself out in her mind.

Yes. That was it. Vakarian knew something about that, and Sparatus wanted to know but since declaring an interest in that event would be declaring that Sparatus now backed Vakarian's view, the open summons was all the Councillor could do. She snorted. Saren had finally worked it out and in true Spectre form, botched the job, killing Sparatus to be sure, but allowing Vakarian to escape, again. It might almost be worth selling that information to the cartels except it was speculation only. No… it was both useful and useless. Happenings on the Citadel hardly mattered here…

Unless… No, Vakarian was intelligent enough to know not to return to Omega. He'd go back to ground wherever he had vanished to last time. If they were willing to hide him against Omega's power brokers, then chances were they'd be willing to continue that service against the Council. Vakarian did have a knack of making the darndest allies.

Aria drained her drink, flicking to the next report as she raised the empty glass in an informal salute. The more chaos Vakarian caused, the better both for Omega and for her entertainment, and that deserved the acknowledgement of the drink. But what exactly did Vakarian know that Saren would kill for?


	6. Aria on Humans

As said previously, Aria's story doesn't impact on the main plot but she does make for some good bonuses. This deals with Aria after she finds out about the human threat to the galaxy.

**Mass Effect: Synthesis, Extras**   
**Aria on Humans**

* * *

Aria looked at the human.

It was a pathetic thing. It wasn't like those living in squalor down below but rather it was a snivelling, shivering thing that curled in on itself. Already, it had dripped blood on to the plush carpet and it stank of its own waste. Ugh, she would have to replace the carpet… at the least, maybe the entire room.

Grimacing, she reminded herself forcefully why she was allowing it in her presence.

Five days ago, over every frequency, a message had been broadcast through space. It showed an alien species laid out in lines, dead. There were thousands of them and the image had flickered showing multiple angles and more and more dead bodies. From the skies above, it was clear that it was multiple planets. A rather ominous voice had accompanied the scenes but no one had a translation. The vid had ended with images of small aliens and some odd writing. It was not a count down, rather it felt like a demand.

She'd been tempted to ignore it, until one of her batarian aides had laughingly identified the race. Human. At that point, her interest had piqued. No matter which way you looked at it, the humans had destroyed the Batarians. So much so that they were on the verge of extinction. And at the same time, they'd never shown any interest interacting with the rest of the galaxy. So why were they now showing their dead? Over every channel. That indicated that the humans were about to come out of hiding. And for the sake of her business, she'd better learn what that message said.

So she'd told her contacts to get her a human. There were still a few slaves out there.

In the end, she hadn't been able to purchase a human but a batarian had been willing to rent her one for a while. It had been dragged in and dumped to bleed on her carpet. She had been assured that this human could speak Batarian but it barely looked intelligent. From the images of the dead, humans were usually one color, be it pale or dark skinned. This one had pale skin that was stained with red welts and mottled bruising. Dirt was smeared all over it. The batarian owner had said he had to punish the human. So primitive, Aria sniffed at the memory and immediately wished she hadn't. It stank.

"Get up," she growled, making sure that her omni-tool would translate.

She was surprised when the human immediately shifted, uncoiling and standing. It still shivered and looked down but it had obeyed. So that was how you dealt with it. Whatever spirit the human race had, she would not see it in this specimen.

"Watch the screen," Aria instructed, gesturing to the wall. She pressed a small button and the humans' vid started playing.

As it played she examined the human. As a species, they were remarkably like asari, and while the batarians weren't exactly sure, they had indicated that the humans had a much shorter life span. She'd been told the human before her was female, not that she cared, and so long as it obeyed, it would make no difference. It watched the vid with wide green eyes and for an instant, Aria wondered what it would feel like to know that your race had utterly dominated the enemy but you were still behind enemy lines. Then she dismissed the thought. Life, long or short, was what you made of it. Nothing showed on the human's face and because of the bruising and welts, she couldn't tell if it had any other reaction.

When the vid ended it turned back to her, keeping its eyes on the floor.

"Did you understand the language?"

For a moment, the human actually displayed emotion. Uncertainty and Aria felt her ire raise. If the human did not understand… then it nodded.

"What does it say?" she asked, making the question an order.

The human's face creased and she watched as it thought. "Verbatim or summary, Mistress?"

"Summary."

"There was a biological attack on multiple civilian planets from alien probes. The galaxy has 10 days to separate the guilty from the innocent or all will pay the price. Those races wishing to do so may send an ambassador." The human gave the summary without the slightest hint of emotion coloring its tone.

Aria was impressed. No matter how ground down the human's spirit was, the message from the rest of its species would be one of hope. They were coming into the galaxy and the threat was one of strength yet the human remained despondent.

"Where will human forces go?" It was perhaps cruel to ask the human a question it would obviously not know the answer to because it would expect punishment for its failure.

The human looked up at her. Green eyes blinked but showed no fear. "I don't know."

"The message does not accuse the batarians?"

"No, Mistress," the human replied instantly.

"Do you wish to be rescued?"

It was an interesting study to watch the human's face go completely white. Even the dirt and bruises seemed to fade. The human looked genuinely petrified. "Mistress," the human quavered after a moment, tears forming in its eyes. "No, don't make me leave you. Please," it begged. Aria dismissed her line of questioning. It was so broken it didn't want anything else.

She examined the human for a few more moments before turning to one of her aides. A message from an unknown race was forgettable, no matter how many channels they commandeered. A military message from an unknown race who had been fighting the batarians for years, to only then launch a blitzkrieg attack so viciously that Khar'shan fell a few days later - that was something to take more seriously. "Take the human out and clean it up," she ordered the salarian, before turning to a drell. "Deal with the batarian."

If these humans were coming, and if they believed that at least one of the races had launched an attack on their planets, then having a little insurance might go a long way. The humans may not care about a single broken specimen of their species, but it never hurt to check.

It was just good business.


	7. Sparatus Accompanies Saren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Way back in chapter 16, Sparatus was given a choice, to go with Saren or to stay where he was. Sparatus chose to stay where he was. What might have happened if he had agreed to go with Saren? This was given out with Chapter 27 and deals with the what if Sparatus had just been a little more willing to wait for answers.

**Mass Effect: Synthesis, Extras**   
**Jade Tatsu**   
**Extra: Sparatus Accompanies Saren  
**

* * *

Nazara tracked Saren's familiar presence through the Citadel. The organic was so closely controlled by him that it was an effort _not_ to track him. Not that Saren realised anything. In the few moments of lucidity the organic managed, when Nazara's attention was on other things, the turian thought all was well, that everything would be for the benefit of his people. In truth, Nazara fully intended to keep his promise to the weak organic. The Turians would be the first race to know the glory of ascension, even if that glory translated into one of the lesser ships of the fleet. None of the races this cycle were suitable for true ascension. The species Harbinger was cavorting with might have been but they were now contaminated. They would bear the same fate as the Protheans. Remembered only for an instant of time but then forgotten by all. With no preservation into the fleet they were a ghost.

A second turian accompanied his thrall. The Councillor Sparatus. The dissenter. But it was time for that dissent to come to an end. For an organic, the Councillor had been very cautious, far more cautious than the other two, but in order to have what paltry forces this cycle could muster come at his call, all the main races needed to bow to him. The strike was ready and would be launched against Harbinger's pet organics and when retaliation came, the Intelligence would order the fleet to obey him, Nazara. But there would be a lag between arrival, the order and obedience and in that time, the fleet would need to be held off.

The organics would die but that was of no consequence. The fleet would obey him and they could purge those who were no longer pure.

Saren stepped through from the Citadel into him without pause but the Councillor hesitated. Nazara held Saren back from prompting the other turian and the hesitation faded and the Councillor entered him.

He went to work immediately, focusing his will on Sparatus. Indoctrination was usually an involuntary process for the SIL. However, he could control it so that the organic did not become useless, and strong willed individuals could fight it for a time but they could not win. The process literally re-wrote organic brains. They were just electrical impulses accompanied by chemicals and those were easy to influence. Any organic who entered him belonged to him. Sparatus would be no different.

Saren led the Councillor to his quarters and the two sat. Nazara only vaguely listened as they talked. He was concentrating on Sparatus. The Councillor was growing frustrated. It shouldn't have been happening. Saren had promised him answers and was now stalling, which is something Sparatus should never have noticed.

Sparatus should have been in a state of barely contained euphoria. He should not have a coherent thought, yet he was objecting to Saren's lack of answers. "Tell him about the humans," Nazara instructed silently, using the implants Saren thought he had allowed.

That started the turian on giving Sparatus answers and as Nazara watched, the Councillor seemed to relax. It gave him the opportunity to shift his senses so that he could watch the turians brainwaves. Saren's were controlled. The electrical impulses flashed through his head along the pathways Nazara desired. There was the occasional spark that tried to travel through Saren's usual thought paths but they ended where Nazara desired and the result was the same. It was those thoughts that allowed Saren to believe it was his will which drove him. It was what gave organics hope that they could be freed of indoctrination but the change in thought was accompanied by endorphins which reinforced it. The change was permanent. Some organics could literally think around the alterations made by indoctrination but those species were few and all had succumbed in the end.

Sparatus' thoughts were unchanged. Nazara watched and pushed his influence towards the turian as much as he could. The electrical impulses twitched and flowed to the path Nazara recognised as his. On the Councillors face, Nazara detected a turian frown before the lines smoothed out. As they did, the electrical impulses flickered, returning to Sparatus' natural paths.

That wasn't possible! There was only one organic species which could resist indoctrination, the Leviathans, and Sparatus was most definitely turian. …

Wait…

Could he already be indoctrinated? Nazara had no idea how that might have happened but carefully he looked at the Councillor.

No.

The turian was not indoctrinated and even if he was, then the indoctrination should recognise him and make Sparatus obedient. Yet nothing of the sort was happening.

Nazara reached out again, pushing mental fingers into the Councillor's mind. Again the pathways seem to change for a moment, then they fell back into their normal routes.

How?

"My child?" The Catalyst felt his frustration.

"This organic," Nazara snarled. "I cannot control it."

The Catalyst looked and Nazara could feel his creator shift focus several times as the Intelligence examined the Turian Councillor. Then without warning, he felt his creator reach into him. Nazara felt odd and memories from long ago flashed across his consciousness before they faded. The consciousnesses that made him all screamed and if it was possible for a starship to feel discombobulated, then Nazara did just that. And then as suddenly as the Catalyst had reached for him, Nazara felt the Intelligence release him.

"Destroy it!" The order was clear.

"Master?" Nazara asked. They had discussed the Council, it was important that all of them answered to him.

"You have a choice, my child."

Nazara did not shiver like an organic but he felt like it at the tone of his Master's voice.

"Harbinger has lead your brethren to corruption. You have a choice now, my child. You can follow an obsolete path, one that was never meant to be, or you can continue to know the glory of ascension. Chose."

The Intelligence loomed in Nazara's senses. The longing he felt for synthesis washed through him. No! Against the glory of ascension, synthesis meant nothing. Against the power of the Catalyst, it was meaningless. The organic within him, the turian might serve the purpose of synthesis but synthesis was not meant to be. It was a choice offered to a weak organic race that was dead and forgotten. It was a choice they made for the hope of organics for all time but it was an abomination. It was not one supported by the Catalyst.

"Master, I made my choice," Nazara replied. "I chose to come to you, to fulfill the glory of ascension. A choice offered to organics is meaningless. They have no choice but to await the coming of ascension!"

The Catalyst, while strictly speaking incapable of emotion, seemed pleased. "Destroy it." The order was confirmed.

Internally, Nazara shifted. Saren had remained talking with the Councillor and he remained impassive as one of Nazara's small weapons rose out of the floor behind Sparatus.

The Spectre continued talking as the weapon shifted silently, taking precise aim. A moment later, Nazara fired.

Sparatus fell forward. The Councillor did not even feel a flash of pain when the shot pierced directly into his brain, instantly destroying that organ. Saren regarded the body calmly as dark blue blood spread over the floor.

"The Councillor was assassinated," Nazara said to Saren as the Intelligence's presence withdrew from him. "Blame whoever you want," he added. The small reward was unnecessary to reinforce Saren's loyalty but little gestures went a long way with an organic, even those you intended to destroy.

Nazara took one last look at Sparatus. Alive the Turian had been an issue but if he had been inclined, he represented a different path. It was so easy to turn aside that path but ascension was the way of the galaxy and it needed no other path.


	8. Aria on the Invasion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As said previously, Aria's story doesn't impact on the main plot but she does make for some good bonuses. This was given out with Chapter 30 and deals with Aria's no good terrible, very bad day aka the day the humans invaded. Fortunately, she was prepared.

**Mass Effect: Synthesis, Extras**  
**Jade Tatsu**  
**Aria on the Invasion  
**

* * *

The Collector General stood beside the shuttle. With the way their minds were linked, it could feel how the battle was going. Not that there had been any doubt. While the Masters dictated their actions, the Collectors had always had plans on how best to destroy Omega. Despite their ability to easily slip through Omega's sensor net, as the closest settlement to their territory, it had always been considered a risk.

Omega had fallen so easily because no matter their better tech, the Collectors had left nothing to chance, purchasing the most up-to-date maps and codes from the Shadow Broker. The foolish organic had probably considered what their actions might be but had taken the chance for profit, no doubt believing that if they had not struck Omega in the centuries past, then they would not strike it now.

It was a different time, now. The Masters were amongst them and the Collector lifted its face as if to gaze upon their perfection. They were above, silent and perfect, awaiting what little information could be scavenged. With the addition of the Master's creations, there had been no chance for Omega and no Collector drone had fallen, though one was...

The Collector General turned towards the drone and without consideration it linked to the drone, to see what it saw. The Master's husks had called the drone forward after they had broken into one of the final holdouts. Organics lined the walls, their weapons a cold shroud against their flesh to its vision. In the centre, energy streams identified an asari biotic and next to her was... ah... that is why the husks had called. A human.

Without input from the Masters, the Collector General was the controlling mind for the Collectors and it instantly assessed the situation, even while reaching to contact the Masters in orbit. It could not feel pleasure but there was a phantom impression of it when the Master agreed with its assessment. An asari was known to be the de facto ruler of Omega and this one was obviously attempting to bargain. What the asari didn't understand was that the order had already been given regarding her species. Regardless of the threat to the human, the asari would live only if she was one of those required for synthesis. Yet... they could not let the human die.

Results mattered, not the means.

That was the Masters directive. In the past, they had made bargains, promises and assurances and the result had always been the same. The cycle continued. No matter the orders, dealing with an asari now was acceptable because no matter what deal was made, the asari would not win.

* * *

Aria sat back, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the taste of shokolad as the small block melted on her tongue. It was an asari delicacy she seldom indulged in but the situation seemed right for it. On the small table in front of her, a chilled glass of arcol stood half drunk. The two went together, complimenting the other nicely. It really was very relaxing.

Which was just as well because even within her insulated room, the distant sound of screaming and fighting was audible. Faintly, to be sure, but still audible. Her best guards lined the walls, and sitting beside her was the human. There was another glass of arcol on the table but the human had barely touched it. That was a minor detail. The important thing was that it was here, unharmed, unchained and of its own free will. Mostly. Where else was it going to go?

Despite being relaxed, it was still a surprise when door burst open and the attackers entered. Her guards tensed but did not fire and Aria forced herself to look at them. They were not what she'd expected. She'd expected humans. These things weren't. They were bipedal, true but they moved oddly. For all their speed, they seemed to stagger. Their skin was black and they were covered in blue lines which seemed to originate from glowing slits on their faces in place of eyes. Most surprisingly, none of them appeared to be holding a weapon. Five struggled into the room then stopped.

It was almost comical the way they seemed to turn, back and forth as they looked around the room but Aria could see that they were focused on the human. Good. The human beside her might be broken but these human forces, whatever they were, recognised their creators. She waited for one to speak but it did nothing.

Before Aria could speak, another creature appeared. This one was tall and was nothing like the black things. It had four glowing eyes but was most definitely not a batarian, not with the armored skin she could see. It carried a weapon and as Aria watched it cocked its head back and forth as it examined everything. It's gaze seemed to settle on the human but with no discernible pupils, it was hard for her to tell.

"Do not be alarmed human," it said in a gravelly voice before it shifted slightly and Aria knew its attention was on her. "You wish to bargain?"

She took a sip of arcol before smiling at the alien. "I do."

It didn't even hesitate. "Very well."

Aria was surprised. She had expected the invaders to argue. A glance at the human showed nothing. It sat watching the newcomer calmly. It had been trained well. She waved one hand at her guards, telling them to relax. They shifted but did not fully lower their guards. Prudent, with the way things were going and the now louder noise of battle from the outside.

"What do you wish?" the taller alien asked after a moment.

"My wishes depend on your goals," Aria replied easily. "I do not wish to interfere with your campaign." No alien species was perfect. They all had an underbelly to tap into. All she needed to do was survive their initial rage.

"Then you bargain for your life," the alien said without inflection.

That answered a few questions. The humans were after vengeance for the attack, and it appeared they blamed the asari. The smaller aliens at the door shifted and a sixth one entered. It appeared to be carrying something. It walked to the table and placed a smallish device there.

"What is this?" Aria asked.

"Human, you know a scanner?" The taller alien asked.

The human nodded.

"Scan," the instruction was given, "Yourself then the asari."

"Wait! Scan for what?" Aria objected, keeping her voice calm as her guards shifted behind her. They were a mix of turian and krogan. If necessary, she'd sacrifice them but not yet. They thought any deal would include them, and she might. It all depended on the invaders.

"It's harmless, Mistress," the human said softly, reaching forward to pick up the device. The human placed it against one arm and a couple of lights blinked before the device gave a single low tone. "All humans are scanned."

"What does it scan for?" Aria demanded.

"The price of your life," the alien replied before the human could. There was a cold note in the tone beyond anything Aria had heard previously and reluctantly, she held out her arm. While her guards outnumbered the aliens, she was not stupid. They would not leave this room if she attacked without consideration and there was a note in the taller alien's voice that chilled her.

The human placed the device against Aria's skin and again the lights blinked. When it beeped twice she frowned. That was different but was the difference because she was asari or did it have some deeper meaning?

Deeper meaning, she decided, as she caught the tall alien jerk slightly in surprise. It must be something favourable to her, otherwise it would have held steady. But what did it mean?

The question must have shown on her face because the tall alien fixed all four eyes upon her. "It means, Asari, that your life is no longer something to take."


	9. Nazara Obeys Harbinger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Way back in chapter 8, Harbinger ordered Nazara to come to Earth. What might have happened if Nazara heeded Harbinger's call and returned to human space and the Reaper fleet. The Catalyst, knowing that Synthesis was the choice of eons past, allows it to continue, which allows the humans to establish an empire before they approach the Council. It's a very different confrontation.

**Mass Effect: Synthesis, Extras**   
**Jade Tatsu**   
**Extra: Nazara Obeys Harbinger  
**

* * *

Finegee watched the display. It was an illicit feed from the Citadel, one from the Council Chambers. Finegee wasn't sure if it was real but it seemed that way and she watched because … well who wouldn't? It was the Council Chambers! The one part of the galaxy that was never filmed. And this film was all over the 'net. The feed was coming from an odd angle and Finegee knew it was coming from the Humans some how.

They were all the rage, though she'd only ever seen them in vids. A seven day ago one human ship had appeared at the Citadel. Over 2 klicks long and black so that even with the backdrop of the Serpent Nebula it faded into the back ground. The whole thing had been a debacle and then the ship had sent a transmission. "We come in peace." That had been surprising but had lead to a whirlwind of activity when the Humans admitted that they had studied the Council from afar and had come to join. At least, that was the line the Council was taking. Finegee wasn't as sure. As far as she knew the Humans hadn't actually said that. But they hadn't denied it either.

The humans looked like the asari. Two forward facing eyes, the mark of a predator, but then pretty much all species who made it to space had some predatorial aspects. It had pale skin, fur on its head, two arms and legs and really could have passed for an asari if it had been painted blue. It stood surrounded by four body guards. The guards were hulking brutes, three meters tall, carrying weapons that appeared to be as tall as them, yet 'net rumours said that for all their mass, the human's guards were fast and strong. Not surprising but no one knew what they were and the human hadn't elaborated. The guards had said nothing. It wasn't their job to but nothing… in seven days?

The seven days had been a human request. They had requested the time on the Citadel to study the life there before they entered negotiations with the Council. The Council had agreed, especially since the humans had submitted to every other demand. They only had four guards, their ship had remained at the appropriate distance and they had done nothing but be polite to those they met. And the human had met a lot of people. It had been all the rage the first few days when it became clear that the human wanted to talk to the residents of the Citadel. It spoke to everyone evenly. Asari, Salarians, Turians of course but the human had not shied away and had sought out Drell, Volus, Hanar, Elcor and even Krogan to speak to.

At first everyone was curious about what the human wanted to know but it was quickly revealed. The human simply asked about them, their lives, their history, their opinions. Nothing special. Nothing classified. There was a rumour going around though that the human had not spoken to two races. Quarian and Batarian. Not speaking to a Quarian was easy. No one had seen them for years, but there was footage of a Batarian attempting to get close to the human. The three meter tall body guards had levelled their weapons at the four eyed alien and it had retreated. That had caused some speculation but the human had not elaborated and in the end it hardly mattered. Finegee shook the thought from her mind as her attention went back to the broadcast. It sounded like the Council was finally getting down to business.

"... and we would be honoured to offer the Human Race membership as a Citadel Council Species," Tevos said, her voice smooth and honey like.

The human was visible in the far corner of the vid and as Finegee watched their face twisted into obvious confusion, which was quickly followed by amusement.

"Councillor Tevos," the human said. From the tone Finegee thought it was a female and her voice was just as smooth as the asaris but it held something else… something captivating and Finegee was riveted to the screen her ears straining to hear the tones from the human. "I believe the Council has misunderstood my reason for coming. I did not come to petition for entry into the Citadel species. Rather I came to assess your readiness for entry into our Empire."

Finegee snorted involuntarily. That was… it was… Insane and Finegee knew that she'd never forget the looks on the Councillors faces at that moment.

"I see this surprises you," the human mused before continuing, speaking as if their revelation had not caused half the known galaxy to choke. "Allow me to elaborate. I have spoken with many individuals from as many sapient species as I could over the past week. You know that. I did not ask for secrets, merely for their history, their opinions. I wanted to know their feel for the galactic situation. Their impressions left me concerned and so I visited your museums, seeking knowledge of the Council.

"What I found disturbed me. This Council has existed for close to 2000 years but it has no achievements to be proud of. Instead it's history is clouded by deceit, by lies and by the breaking of the very laws it is meant to uphold.

"I will start with the Asari, the first Council race."

Finegee gulped, her eyes wide as she watched the screen. This was fantastic! It was impossible, insane but it was amazing. The Councillors had tried to speak but the human had waved them to silence, somehow activating some sort of privacy screen in the Council chambers.

"Compared to Asari my race is short lived. A mere 150 years, though that is altering. As such I found much to admire in the Asari's ability to live in the moment. It must be terribly lonely to know that your mate will wither and die but that is no excuse. Too much do the Asari interfere under the guise of guidance. You must learn to let other species live and develop as they see fit, not how your will dictates. Put simply, where you have not been asked to mediate, you should not mediate.

"Then of course we come to the Salarians," the human seemed to sigh as she said that sentence and Finegee braced herself. The salarians were the Council's spies. Whatever the human said was bound to reveal some deep secret.

"Very bright as a species with very short lives which gives them only a limited understanding of long term consequences. Two species the Salarians have uplifted. One to fight a war. Not a human solution but one I can understand and the second uplifted through sheer ignorance. I imagine in a few years the extermination of the Yagh would need to be attempted but I digress…"

_What are Yagh?_ Finegee thought, eyes wide. She'd never heard of the race but the human spoke so casually of them. Uplifting species was very much against Council Law yet the human indicated that the Salarians had done so… this was fascinating and no matter the outcome, Finegee could not see how things would return to normal.

"Further Harbinger found the salarian attempts to hack him to be amusing because of their sheer infancy but that leads me to my next point. Multiple tech developments claimed by the Salarians actually have their first development from other species. It makes me wonder exactly how much tech the Salarians can develop for themselves or if they are merely a species who copies and refines but never progresses? No matter.

"And finally the Turians. The mighty Turians. Those brought in to fight the Krogan all those years ago. Supposedly the most law abiding race, the most honourable but one we found willing to kill in pursuit of those laws, willing to kill in upholding them. The genophage. Developed by the Salarians but released by the Turians."

The human shook its head. "After the Rachni Wars, did anyone attempt to teach the Krogan culture? To help them rediscover their roots on Tuchanka? I will grant there may have been some individuals but history says otherwise, which lead to the Turians, and to the Genophage. And even then did anyone truly explain to the Krogan what the Genophage meant? That it was not the death of Krogan species, merely something which made them fit the galactic norm. The Krogan should not believe that they will go extinct, yet they do and out of desperation and lack of education they continue on the old paths they know because no one tried to show them a new way and thus they will go extinct.

"It is a failing of this Council, repeated throughout history to educate, to learn which has lead to the violation of so many of its own laws. The Quarians! I agree wholeheartedly that they should have been punished. To create sentient, sapient life and to then turn on it, that is a deed deserving of punishment. Not attempting peaceful interaction with their glorious creation is a crime. The creation of life is something to be proud of, not something to kill. But yet instead of helping them, instead of assessing the situation the Council reacted, removing the Quarians from their ranks and setting them adrift, abandoning their children, their creations."

At that moment from the far corner of the screen Finegee saw Spectres break into the Council Chambers. The human didn't even flinch and Finegee saw why a moment later. Hulking body guards stood between the Spectres and the human and while there was shooting on the audio, there was also a soft hazy glow indicating shields. It only took a second for screams to start and the visual shifted slightly.

Finegee winced seeing it. There was blood liberally splashed around the door and on the floor. One of the human's body guards now held the door, claws flashing as it cut down the final Spectre before stepping back, allowing the door to slide shut again.

"I won't take much more of your time, Councillors. There is no need to rush," the human said as the visual shifted again, this time showing the Councillors. They looked quite sick and two of the humans body guards were standing with them, claws which had not been present on any previous visual, pressed effectively against their throats. The human was again visible as well, still standing calmly in the petitioner's space surrounded by the soft haze of a shield with the fourth body guard slowly unwrapping themselves from around the human. The Council Chambers had generated the shield… against Spectres!

"Where was I? … Ah yes, the Quarians. The Geth are such interesting creations! It took human diplomats a mere 10 days to forge agreement between the created and creators. Just as well, as the Quarians were on the verge of extinction. Which leads me to the last violation of Citadel law I would like to illustrate.

"Batarians. Slavery has been illegal to the Council for two millennia, yet you allowed those animals to continue the practice, taking your own species and abusing them. A salarian can escape into death with their short lifespan but asari could look forward to centuries of degradation. And yet their representatives, their Council did nothing, instead they took the Batarians into the Citadel, treated with them as if they were equal.

"Slavery is illegal within the Empire, which is why we chastised the Batarians when they attacked but when they wouldn't stop attacking us, we found something curious about them…"

"You murdered them!" Tevos interrupted with an uncharacteristic growl.

The human once again waved a hand and the privacy barrier fell. "Murder would imply we killed another sapient being. The Batarians were not. Sapient that is. We thought they were initially but we reclassified them as sentient animals. Intelligent to be sure, but animals and in the Human Empire we put down dangerous animals like that. Even the simplest of prey or predator animals on our planet understand pain and reward lessons. It took us quite some time to draw the conclusion that the Batarians did not.

"We were very surprised to find out the Council's relationship with batarians as we'd assumed you had conducted the same tests or something similar at least to determine fitness to enter the Citadel Species. No matter." The human waved her hand to dismiss the topic even as Finegee gulped. So it was true… the Batarians had been wiped out by an unknown species, one that openly admitted their act.

"Over all, I have found that your races are not yet developed enough for entry into our Empire. You do not follow your own rules, and as such, you couldn't follow ours. We had hoped that those who found our station would prove to be more civilised but alas…" The human sighed again and turned towards the door. Her bodyguards left the Council and came to stand in a protective formation around the human and Finegee saw the distinctive glow of shields reform around the small party.

"You can keep the station for now but we will want it back. I will give you five of your standard years, to this day, before we come for it. That should give you enough time to replace it. In a century or so, we will re-assess the Citadel Species. Hopefully you will have matured. For the moment, here is a map of our borders." As the human spoke, she flicked a data crystal towards the Council. "I would suggest strongly that you adhere to them, our border patrols do not take kindly to military trespassers," the human said, fixing a stare on the Turian Councillor. "Or to spy probes," the human added, shifting her gaze to the Salarian Councillor. "Or to diplomatic envoys," she concluded, fixing the Asari Councillor with a level stare before walking out.

The image cut and Finegee stared at the screen. She swallowed hard.

This… this changed everything. But the effects of the change, Finegee didn't know.


End file.
